Comments

I thought it would end violently. It was inevitable. Good for the task team. At least the lady came out of this to see another day.

rozy.gay - 2012-07-13 15:02

Glad the lady is safe now and hope she is able to get over this awful trauma she has been through!

siyaz.mcitakali.3 - 2012-07-13 15:09

It was bound to happen. I knew that this will be the end result

hallo.daar.56 - 2012-07-13 15:10

Mission accomplished.

jason.children - 2012-07-13 16:14

If im not mistaken the Special Task Force have never lost a Hostage. (hostage rescue is their primary function)

hallo.daar.56 - 2012-07-13 16:30

Definitely one of their major function but they are constantly working in the shadows, from VIP protection to executing high risk warrants. They are trained for pretty much any situation. Also as far as I am aware they have never lost an operator in the line of duty.

BigChiefPlumbPudding - 2012-07-13 16:55

They have always had an excellent name and unbelievably high standards. It has been my privilege and honour to have met some of them in my younger years and to have seen first hand some of their skills. Goose bumps doesn't describe the feeling seeing a man walking towards a target putting round after round into such a tight grouping that one starts to think it's a trick. Then there's all the para military training as well. An elite unit indeed and I hope they will maintain those standards forever.

mike.mcc.71 - 2012-07-14 05:55

@hallo.daar, Sadly they have lost operators before although not through any fault of their own, a team were tragically killed in that chopper crash outside Witbank a while ago.

mike.mcc.71 - 2012-07-14 07:07

Correction - it was a National Intervention team that was killed in the chopper crash, not STF.

jason.children - 2012-07-14 10:25

Im not sure how high the standards are these days to be honest! I know they lost a lot of Operators to various PMC and PSD companies operating in Iraq and Afghanistan.

samanthavanzyl - 2012-07-13 15:14

Good on the police, but to take 4 hours seems abit long? What if the lady was injured or had a life threatening condition?

boltonbarry - 2012-07-13 15:22

Samantha the Police will always in a situation like this try and talk the hostage taker out of the situation. They monitor the situation closely and take all things in to consideration. They will speak to relatives and find out ever bit of information they can when assessing the drama.

jus.manning - 2012-07-13 15:26

Different scenario and priorities I guess. They managed to get the relative to a hospital after being injured. I'm sure once thwe situation was assessed, the negotiators knew they had options to explore first.
Death is always the last option, and fortunately, they had enough time to explore different options. Its a pity it ended the way it did though. The Girlfriend has a long road ahead of her for trauma councelling.

davorin.dobrovic - 2012-07-13 16:13

You clearly know nothing about what you are talking about. The police's priority is to reach a peaceful end to the situation and use force as a last resort. Hostage dramas around the world can sometimes last for days in the extreme cases. Congratulations to the SAPS on getting this woman out safely.

BigChiefPlumbPudding - 2012-07-13 16:57

I can understand the question, but it stems from a lack of knowledge of hostage situations. First prize is no fatalities - and that takes time to achieve. If that fails, then second prize is lose the perp and restore order.

barbara.mainzhaswell - 2012-07-13 15:18

Well done! We can all be proud of our Police special Task Force!!

john.moodley.7 - 2012-07-13 15:22

Head shot 500 points.

jus.manning - 2012-07-13 15:36

you're an idiot

abdol.goebels - 2012-07-13 15:31

So tragic. So unnecessary. And the family of both parties. I know what will happen now between them. They will become enemies. Again I say, so unnecessary.

Archbishop.Vhutshilo.Mudau - 2012-07-13 15:32

This man wanted to die

edwin.cloete - 2012-07-13 15:40

sho oh !

Spikes - 2012-07-13 16:05

Good shooting

geraldsebanda - 2012-07-13 16:09

Well done police

Abram - 2012-07-13 16:18

beki cele might hv left but he leave behind a legacy,SHOOT TO KILL

hummy.ramukhuvhathi - 2012-07-13 16:20

Sniper my sniper.

tricia.sutherland1 - 2012-07-13 16:22

now the gunman has gone and shot himself in the foot!

Dawn Campbell Gibson - 2012-07-13 16:30

Well done! its not often that the police do a good job, but in cases like this, they have excelled! way to go! Shoot to kill!!!

KingPro - 2012-07-13 16:43

Counter-terrorist win!!! (Counterstrike voice) hahaha!!!

hendrik.luttig - 2012-07-13 16:44

If you cry you cry alone, if you laugh the world laughs with you. If you want out, dont involve innocent people, try councelling or play russian roulette by yourself somewhere far away. I feel sorry for the police officer that had to pull the trigger, now he has to carry that burden on his shoulder. Well done for saving the day.

Dawn Campbell Gibson - 2012-07-13 17:12

The person who shot him should be given a medal and even a bonus. keep it up, get rid of the scum.

BigChiefPlumbPudding - 2012-07-13 16:49

Warms my heart. Well done Task Force, encouraging to know you can still deliver the goods.

phillipm.seopa - 2012-07-13 16:51

Although the girlfriend will left traumatized

wayne.warren83 - 2012-07-13 16:51

I have a 3 part documentary on the Special Task Force, and I watch it again everytime I start losing faith in this country ^_^

mart.botha - 2012-07-13 16:58

This is what protecting the innocent is all about. Well done SAPS.

lucas.lelimo - 2012-07-13 17:15

dats a gud job well done task force.hahaha

sbongezulu - 2012-07-13 18:07

Murder

mike.bundy.73 - 2012-07-14 01:52

No, shooting a gun-wielding hostage-taker who has already given up his rights by shooting a third person is not murder.

Gerald Jordaan - 2012-07-13 18:30

Hostages shooting an oke in the foot !! how do the cops approve firearms for idiots??

mike.bundy.73 - 2012-07-14 01:55

Not hostages, there was a single hostage who was unarmed. The criminal shot the relative in the foot. There is no proof that he is an idiot and none that the gun was registered to him. Your entire comment is faulty.